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Northland hosts Walking in Two Worlds conference

April 10, 2013

People are adjusting to changes in society at a more rapid pace in an age where technological advances can connect people on opposite sides of the globe within seconds. Modern conveniences make it easier to stay connected, but some cultures struggle with the disconnect between contemporary life and maintaining their identities and traditions. Northland College will host a conference in that vein exploring the experiences of Native Americans on Friday, April 12.

Dr. Anton Treuer is the keynote speaker for the conference. Treuer is the executive director of the American Indian Resource Center at Bemidji State University. Treuer will speak about how Native Americans struggle to stay connected to their ancestors and traditions.

"I think it's a struggle to keep things vibrant and determine how much change is acceptable before becoming an entirely different person," Treuer said. "Rather than distancing ourselves from society, it's about finding a way to be successful in both ways and maintain customs, beliefs and practices."

The pace of change has posed a challenge for Native communities, according to Treuer. One example he cites is the changing fluency rate in tribal languages.

"Around World War II, the fluency rate of tribal languages was 100 percent. Today those languages are primarily spoken by elders," he said.

He also notes that Native American communities are less dependent on a subsistence lifestyle.

"Most people were dependent to some significant degree on harvesting of wild rice, fishing and hunting just for the purpose of feeding their families," he said. "Things are different now...doing those practices is now more about trying to keep those traditions alive."

Treuer has authored nine books, including "Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask" and "The Assassination of Hole in the Day."

The "Walking in Two Worlds" conference and symposium will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Alvord Theatre on campus. The conference will feature speakers from surrounding tribes, including the Lac Courte Oreilles and Bad River Bands of Lake Superior Chippewa. Speakers include Dr. Rick St. Germaine, Michael Sullivan Sr., Dennis White, Mic Isham Jr. and Esie Leoso with a special guest performance by Niizhoo Sullivan. The event, another offering in the Northland College Community Connection series, is free and open to the public.

The event is sponsored by the Native American and Indigenous Culture Center, Native American Student Association, Multicultural Office, A.D. & Mary Elizabeth Hulings Distinguished Chair in the Humanities, Northland College Student Association, Otto Bremer Foundation and Global Awareness Fund of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation.